Replication crisis

The replication crisis, also known as the reproducibility or replicability crisis, refers to growing concerns in science where many published studies cannot be repeated or verified by other researchers. Because the reproducibility of empirical results is an essential part of the scientific method,^[2] such failures undermine the credibility of theories building on them and potentially call into question substantial parts of scientific knowledge.

The replication crisis is frequently discussed in relation to psychology and medicine, where considerable efforts have been undertaken to reinvestigate classic results, to determine whether they are reliable, and if they turn out not to be, the reasons for the failure.^[3]^[4] Data strongly indicates that other natural and social sciences are affected as well.^[5]

The phrase replication crisis was coined in the early 2010s^[6] as part of a growing awareness of the problem. Considerations of causes and remedies have given rise to a new scientific discipline, metascience,^[7] which uses methods of empirical research to examine empirical research practice.^[8]

Considerations about reproducibility can be placed into two categories. Reproducibility in the narrow sense refers to re-examining and validating the analysis of a given set of data. Replication refers to repeating an existing experiment or study using new, independent data with the goal of verifying the original conclusions.

^ Ioannidis JP (August 2005). "Why most published research findings are false". PLOS Medicine. 2 (8): e124. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0020124. PMC 1182327. PMID 16060722.
^ John S (8 December 2017). Scientific Method. New York, NY: Routledge. doi:10.4324/9781315100708. ISBN 978-1-315-10070-8. S2CID 201781341.
^ Lehrer J (13 December 2010). "The Truth Wears Off". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
^ Marcus G (1 May 2013). "The Crisis in Social Psychology That Isn't". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
^ Baker M (May 2016). "1,500 scientists lift the lid on reproducibility". Nature (News Feature). 533 (7604). Springer Nature: 452–454. Bibcode:2016Natur.533..452B. doi:10.1038/533452a. PMID 27225100. S2CID 4460617. (Erratum: [1])
^ Pashler H, Harris CR (November 2012). "Is the Replicability Crisis Overblown? Three Arguments Examined". Perspectives on Psychological Science. 7 (6): 531–536. doi:10.1177/1745691612463401. PMID 26168109. S2CID 1342421.
^ Fidler F, Wilcox J (2018). "Reproducibility of Scientific Results". The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University. Retrieved 2019-05-19.
^ Korbmacher M, Azevedo F, Pennington CR, Hartmann H, Pownall M, Schmidt K, et al. (25 July 2023). "The replication crisis has led to positive structural, procedural, and community changes". Communications Psychology. 1 (1): 3. doi:10.1038/s44271-023-00003-2. ISSN 2731-9121. PMC 11290608. PMID 39242883.

[Ioannidis2005-1] Ioannidis JP (August 2005). "Why most published research findings are false". PLOS Medicine. 2 (8): e124. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0020124. PMC 1182327. PMID 16060722.

[2] John S (8 December 2017). Scientific Method. New York, NY: Routledge. doi:10.4324/9781315100708. ISBN 978-1-315-10070-8. S2CID 201781341.

[3] Lehrer J (13 December 2010). "The Truth Wears Off". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2020-01-30.

[4] Marcus G (1 May 2013). "The Crisis in Social Psychology That Isn't". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2020-01-30.

[Nature_5-25-2016-5] Baker M (May 2016). "1,500 scientists lift the lid on reproducibility". Nature (News Feature). 533 (7604). Springer Nature: 452–454. Bibcode:2016Natur.533..452B. doi:10.1038/533452a. PMID 27225100. S2CID 4460617. (Erratum: [1])

[6] Pashler H, Harris CR (November 2012). "Is the Replicability Crisis Overblown? Three Arguments Examined". Perspectives on Psychological Science. 7 (6): 531–536. doi:10.1177/1745691612463401. PMID 26168109. S2CID 1342421.

[7] Fidler F, Wilcox J (2018). "Reproducibility of Scientific Results". The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University. Retrieved 2019-05-19.

[8] Korbmacher M, Azevedo F, Pennington CR, Hartmann H, Pownall M, Schmidt K, et al. (25 July 2023). "The replication crisis has led to positive structural, procedural, and community changes". Communications Psychology. 1 (1): 3. doi:10.1038/s44271-023-00003-2. ISSN 2731-9121. PMC 11290608. PMID 39242883.

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